


Do You Believe in Magic?

by bartsy



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 09:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bartsy/pseuds/bartsy
Summary: At Fletch's friend's wedding, he and Jac are mistaken for a couple.





	Do You Believe in Magic?

The ceremony is over quickly— the bride and groom aren’t too interested in the wedding itself, more excited to be married in general, so the ceremony was fast and simple. They gave nice, lovely vows and had a nice, lovely kiss.

Fletch is sitting next to her the whole time. The warmth of his body radiates off him and Jac tries not to look over as the priest waxes poetic about love and finding your soulmate.

She doesn't believe in soulmates. You find someone you like and make a life together. There's no fate or destiny. Every piece of life is a choice, including the people you love. She chose to love Joseph and Jonny and yes, even Charles.

But with Fletch right next to her, smiling happily as the bride and groom promise their lives together, she thinks that she didn’t choose him: he just happened.

He just happened to get a promotion and they just happened to work together day after day and they just happened to become friends and they just happened to kiss and she just happens to be in love with him.

None of that was on purpose, but she can't help how she feels.

They stand as the couple walks down the aisle together. She looks down and can see Fletch's hand twitch, like he's trying to reach over and grab hers, but won't allow himself to. She wants to reach out as well.

He's been _so_ good about remaining friends. He hasn't pushed her for more since they talked and he's be understanding to the point that Jac is actually frustrated. All it does is make her want him more.

The wedding continues as they all vacate the church and head to a nearby hotel. The building is lovely and simple, just like the couple. A painful, wicked thought crosses Jac's mind— _what would our wedding look like?_ She shakes it off immediately, preferring to distract herself with finding their seats. A man and a woman are already sitting there, smiling deliriously. Fletch pulls Jac's chair out for her and she sits.

“Oh, that’s so lovely.” The woman says and looks over at her husband. “He still pulls out his girlfriend’s chair.”

“I’m not his girlfriend.” The couple frowns and she can faintly see Fletch tense up. She says it too quickly, like the words were ready to spill out of her mouth, and she’s worried that Fletch might think she’s had that prepared.

Except, well, it’s the opposite. Girlfriend sounds immature and banal— something more akin to partner would suit them better— but she has to admit that it’s all that she’s been thinking about lately. 

“Didn’t have to say it so fast, y’know.” Fletch sits in his own chair and after a few seconds of tension, they move on with their meal.

At first, it’s awkward, but soon the couple sitting with them ease them back together. They chat inanely with the couple, exchanging looks between them when either of the couple says something ridiculous. They’re both, in Jac’s opinion, boring suburbanites with nothing interesting to offer in conversation, but she enjoys Fletch’s company nonetheless.

“Excuse me, but I’m going to get more to drink.” Backing out on his promise not to leave her alone, Fletch stands up and walks away, only taking his own glass. The other man at the table also decides that he’s thirsty and follows him.

The woman leans over. “You’re really not together?”

“No.” She stays tight-lipped. Fletch doesn’t seem to know these people, either, but this is his friend’s wedding and she doesn’t want any rumors about her or him or them floating around.

“That’s such a shame.”  

Jac tries not to let the woman’s words linger in her mind for too long, but she fails. All does is think about Emma, about surgery, and about Fletch.

She think it’s a shame, too. Her feelings for Fletch feel like they’re bursting out of her skin like it’s on fire. She wants to touch him. To kiss him. To call him her _partner_ and it’s a goddamn shame that she’s too...well... _her_ for that to happen.

She’s Jac Naylor, which means anything she loves, she’ll eventually ruin. And Fletch is no different.

The woman keeps going. “Adrian’s a lovely man, you know. You could do a lot worse.” She could and she has.

“We’re not together, alright?” She snaps. The woman tuts and takes a sip of her wine.

Jac looks over at Fletcher, who’s putting a tip into a jar for the bartender. He’s shaking his head and laughing, like an inside joke between them. The other man from there table is there and he’s laughing, too.

As soon as Fletch looks over, she turns her head, pretending that she wasn’t staring. Fletch and the man walk back over to the table and he sets down his pint.

“What’s so funny?” The woman asks.

“You’ll never believe— the bartender thought Jac and I were together. The second one tonight, how weird’s that?”

“Oh, we were just talking about that!” The woman is delighted in the opportunity to embarrass Jac further.

Jac opens her mouth to snap at the woman, but once again she’s cut off before she can start. The bride and groom walk up to their table, ready to greet them. “Mandy, John, it’s so good to see you again.” The groom says to the other couple.

The Bride places a hand on Fletch’s arm and says “Adrian, I’m so glad you could make it. And you must be the girlfriend. You’re even prettier than he described.” She says to Jac.

“I”m not—”

“This is Jac.”

“I’m not his girlfriend.” She says again, sterner than she had before.

It clearly catches the bride off guard because she responds “Oh. Sorry, I must’ve gotten it wrong. Well, its...nice to meet, anyway, Jac. Have a good time, you guys.” And the couple are off again, ready to speak to another table.

“I’m prettier than he described?” Jac asks pointedly to Fletch.

He smiles annoyingly and shrugs, not even bothering to explain himself.

Fletch isn’t like her— he doesn’t keep his feelings bottled up or hidden. It shouldn’t surprise her that he’s been talking about her to his friends, but it does.

“How often do you talk about me?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He’s still smiling and takes a sip from his pint.

The lights in the room start dimming, and the DJ picks up the mic. “And now, the couple will share their first dance.”

The bride and groom head to the dance floor and hold each other sickeningly close. Jac feels a bit sick thinking about how in love these people seem to be, jealous of their openness and vulnerability. It’s something she’s been yearning for since she’s known what love is.

The couple dance for half a song before the DJ says “The bride and groom would like to invite all the couples here to join them on the dance floor to join them in celebrating their union.”

The couple sitting with them smile sweetly and get up together. Jac stays in her seat and watches as dozens of couples stand up to dance with the newlyweds.

She’s about to make a comment about how sickeningly sweet this all is, but as she looks over at Fletch, she notices that his hand is out. “Dance?”

“He said couples. And I don’t dance.”

“Come on, break the rules.” She sighs. “Just this once.”

She thinks about it for a moment before rolling her eyes and taking his hand. She follows him to the dance floor.

Fletch curls his hand around hers and rests the other one on her hip. She's briefly shocked by his forwardness, but is delighted by the touch.

"Why do you think everyone's been mistaking us for a couple?"

"Maybe it's because you've been glued to my hip all night?" She doesn’t mean it. She _wanted_ him to be there, with her, all night long and not just because these are his friends and she hardly knows anyone.  

"Or maybe it's because they can see it." His eyes are soft as he says it, but his voice is strong and sure.

"See what?"

"The way you look at me." It's a brazen statement and she's not entirely sure what to say. She can feel the heat building up in her chest. He's so close, his skin is so warm and he looks _so_ good.

"Like an annoying man that won't leave me alone?"

He ignores her. "The same way I look at you." The heat in her chest rises to her neck. "Like you think we should kiss."

He entangles their fingers and lightly kisses the back of her hand. "Maybe it's the way I hold you." He pulls her closer so they're chest to chest. She can feel his breath on her cheek as he speaks. "The way I touch you."

For the first time in her life, Jac is speechless. This is all too much for her. She wants to reach forward, take his face in her hands and kiss him in front of all these people, but she _can't._

_Why not?_ The thought lingers for a half a second, while she remembers that everyone here thinks they're a couple anyway. The way he's holding her— like he's done it a million times, but every touch is as tender as the last— is reminiscent of an actual couple. No one here would think anything of it.

"What's stopping us?"

"You know." She tries to keep her composure, but her heart is beating fast and she can hardly breathe with him this close to her.

"You don't wanna ruin our friendship."

She nods. "You're too important to me."

His smile is infectious. "And you're too important to me to let you go.” It’s so simple, but it takes her breath away. “We'll be amazing."

We _will._ He sounds so sure of it— of them. Like he's seen into the future and knows all that's for them is greatness. Maybe he's right.

"I'll hurt you."

"Who says?" His voice is hopeful, yet soft, like he knows that one wrong word might spook her, but he's eager to win convince her.

"My history. I'm bad at relationships, always have been, and I couldn't stand it if I hurt you."

"I could." He looks directly into her eyes, clear and determined.

"Adrian…" She doesn't continue her thought because before she can, he leans forward and kisses her.

It’s tender and soft and everything she remembers and wanted it to be again. She places her hand on his cheek and leans into the kiss, letting him touch her in the way she’s been dreaming about.

No man has ever held her like this, or treated her as gently or lovingly as he has. It’s one of the reasons that she loves him— not just for the way he treats her, but how he treats other people as well.

He pulls back and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “What’re you thinking?” His smile drops and he takes a step back. “Unless I don’t want to know.”

For once, she doesn’t think about it. She grabs his arm and pulls him back to her. “Okay.” 

“What?”

“Us. You and me—let’s...” She can’t finish her sentence because there’s no way to describe what she wants from them. But she knows it’s special and she _knows_ that she wants it.  

Jac doesn’t bother looking around before taking his face in her hands and kissing him again. Everyone thinks they’re together anyway.

There’s nothing for her to lose, except Fletch and now she thinks she’s finally ready to take that chance. 


End file.
